Shadow the Hedgehog
by PokemonMaster32g
Summary: Freedom Fighters Book 1-1. A superhero twist on the games. A teen named Matthew is born with a black anthropomorphic hedgehog alter ego. But are these powers a blessing, or a curse? His past is a mystery. Distraught and lost, he must fight his arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman—Matthew's uncle and only remaining family member—as Shadow. Can he show the world that he really is good?
1. Creating the Ultimate Life Form

"This is out of line, Gerald," said the G.U.N. Commander.

"I-I'm sorry!" Professor Gerald Robotnik pleaded. "I… I just need more time…"

"_We've given you more time,_" the Commander stated firmly. He let out a deep sigh. "Do you have Black Doom's DNA yet?"

"Y-yes," the professor said quickly. "I just need a human to also be the donor."

"Good." The Commander left the lab, leaving Robotnik with his work.

The professor reached into the pocket of his labcoat and pulled out a beautiful red gem. It was about the size of a fist. It glowed brightly as it was being held in Robotnik's hand.

"I just need six more of you, Chaos Emerald," he said, "then I will change the world." He began to laugh.

Gerald Robotnik was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He was an old, bald man with a big white mustache. A _big_ white mustache. His blue spectacles made his eyes hidden. He was hired by G.U.N., the Guardian Units of Nations, a special military organization, to create a life form that would be used for combat. The professor called it "the Ultimate Life Form."

* * *

Maria, Robotnik's 27-year-old daughter, was in the G.U.N. infirmary, delivering a baby. Her screams could be heard across the halls. She was giving birth to the life form that Robotnik had created. The doctors kept telling her to breath. Finally, the baby came out. However, it didn't look like a baby at all. It looked completely alien. It was covered in black hair, except for its mouth. There were some read stripes on the back of its head, and a small white streak on its chest. Its eyes were open, revealing two red eyes. Anyone who was unaware of the special project would think that Maria had just given birth to a demon.

"Take it to the lab," said a voice. It was Robotnik's. He had been watching the whole time. A tear was running down his cheek.

The chord was cut off before the baby was taken to the professor's lab. It was placed in a generator-like machine. Robotnik sat near it and turned it on after typing some things in his computer. The baby lay there, yelling human-like cries. The professor flipped a switch and the baby was surrounded in a barrage of green electricity. It cried and shrieked in pain. The black hair began to disappear, and the baby started getting reular human features. Robotnik turned off the machine not a moment after the baby looked completely human.

One of the doctors went to the baby and gently picked him up. "It's a boy," he said after figuring out its sex.

"Good," said the professor. "Take him back to my granddaughter."

The baby boy was given back to Maria after more procedures and being wrapped in a blanket. He was taken to his Mother, Maria, who tenderly cradled him in her arms.

"Matthew…" she said softly. "My little Matthew."

* * *

It was two months later. Matthew was doing great. A few days after the boy's birth, Robotnik took the time to explain to Maria what exactly she was raising: an alien. He told her what about Matthew's future with G.U.N. and what he would do for them.

"When he is old enough, they will shown him who he really is," he had said.

He looked very jittery. He was always watching his back, like something was going to get him. He had safely hidden the Chaos Emerald in the laboratory in his house in Westopolis, but still he felt it could be found. No one knew why the Emerald was so important to him. To everyone else, it was just a big diamond that could be sold for the jewelry industry. They didn't know its power, what it could be used for. A person with such a prize would show it off, not keep it hidden.

One day, the G.U.N. Commander burst into Robotnik's lab. The professor was rummaging through his file cabinets, obviously looking for something.

"Looking for these?" the Commander asked, holding a thin file in his hand. "I picked them up when I saw them just… lying around. He threw the file on Robotnik's desk.

Robotnik looked at the file and the Commander nervously. He swallowed with difficulty with his mouth now dry as a bone.

"I read some real _interesting_ things in that file," the Commander continued. He wiped everything off of his desk with a quick swipe, though there was only some pictures and a lot of papers.

The professor was now sweating. "Like…?"

The Commander sat on the desk, enjoying the professor's state of anxiety. "Like what you were really going to do with the life form." He walked up to the professor and yelled in his face. "You disobeyed orders! You were going to it for something else, you bastard! And by the looks of it, it looked like you were going to use it for yourself!"

"He's a human being!" the professor protested.

"He's an _alien!_"

"What I'm going to use him for is no crueler than what you are planning!"

The Commander stood back and crossed his arms. He spoke softly now. "You want to rule the world with him. We want to preserve peace with him, just like we did with me 10 years ago."

"It's not like that!"

"I believe it is. There were other things in that file. Something about Chaos Emeralds? What can you tell me about those?"

"The secret they hold shall not be given to ordinary men."

"Hm. And you believe you are not ordinary?"

"I've created the ultimate life form!"

"But it wasn't just _you, _was it? You only disserve only a _sliver _of the credit, not all of it. And Matthew's not the only 'ultimate' life form. For your actions, you are no longer on the project. Leave the building immediately."

The professor began to gather all of his paperwork together. The Commander stopped him.

"Leave all of your research here. You can only take these." He handed Robotnik two framed photos, one of Maria & Matthew and one of his dead wife. Robotnik looked at both pictures like they were all he had.

"Go," the Commander said.

The professor remained standing there.

"I said _go!_" shouted the Commander.

The professor bolted out of the room, weeping.

"I'm so sorry, sir," the Commander whispered as he watched Robotnik go.

* * *

Maria and baby Matthew were staying in San Diego, the city closest to the G.U.N. headquarters. Matthew was two months old and was doing pretty well. He was acting and behaving normally, despite there being something inside him… Professor Robotnik burst into the door of the hotel room.

"Pack your things," he said breathlessly. "You need to leave. Now."

He did not answer any of Maria's questions. He only told what she needed to do: "Get Matthew back to Westopolis. Do _not_ trust anyone except Ivo. If you see any traces of G.U.N., _get out of there._"

Maria asked him again what was going on, and he just said there was trouble with G.U.N. and that he would see her soon. So, she took the baby and made her way to Westopolis.


	2. 8 Years Later

**Hey, everyone. I am deeply sorry for seemingly abandoning this story. School just really caught up. Enjoy!**

**Also, in the first chapter, where Gerald says, "Take it to my granddaughter." This was just a typo. (The doc got deleted, so I can't change it.) Maria is his daughter.**

"_Where is he?!_" asked the G.U.N. Commander.

He was in a board room in the G.U.N. Fortress with six other men. They were all responsible for finding Professor Robotnik. None of them answered the commander's demand.

"Well?"

One of the members was brave enough to speak up. "Well… He has a daughter, Maria…"

"Yes, yes, yes. We know that. She wouldn't know where he is. Anything else?"

"He h-has a s-s-son… Ivo Robotnik. He works in the same field as the professor."

"Would he know?"

"…Probably not."

The commander screamed in fury. He faced away from the members to the wall to calm down.

"That man," he said, "must be condemned for his crimes. We need that baby, too."

"But…" said one of the members, "he is human. He needs to live a human life."

"Yes," agreed the commander. "What is why we only need _access_ to the child. He will remain in custody with Maria."

"Commander?" said another member.

"Yes?"

"Who is the father of this baby?"

* * *

_8 Years Later_

Christmastime. A time where families get together. The Robotniks strongly believed in family values… probably because their family was very small. It was just Maria, her son and her brother Ivo. Ivo, like his father, Gerald, was a revered scientist. He was known for building war machines and advanced robots for G.U.N. He'd contributed a lot to G.U.N. in the past three years. He'd also picked up the nickname "Egg Man", since his body was shaped like an egg. He had a pointy pink nose and a large, bushy mustache that hid most of his mouth. He was a very nice man, and had always been a good brother to Maria. No one could believe that they were siblings since they didn't look anything alike. Maria took the appearance of their mother, while Ivo took the appearance of their father.

…Who they hadn't seen in eight years.

Maria still looked young and vibrant. She was pulling the turkey out of the oven while 8-year-old Matthew was "assisting." She heard a knock on the door. It must've been Ivo. Fashionable late, as usual. After knocking one more time, he let himself in. He was family after all. He had present under his arm, all wrapped up and with a ribbon on it.

"Uncle Egg Man!" Matthew yelled gleefully. He ran to his uncle and hugged his leg.

"Hey, kiddo!" Ivo harked. He reached down and patted Matthew's head. The scientist was very tall, standing nearly seven feet thanks to his long legs.

"Mommy got me a present!" declared Matthew, pointing to a train set laying on the floor.

"Just wait till you see what I've got for you!" Ivo said. He always founded like he had a laugh in his voice. He gave Matthew the gift box.

The boy immediately went to the couch to open in it. He quickly demolished the wrapping paper and opened the box. After getting through a couple layers of bubble wrap, he lay his eyes on the magnificent gift.

"A _gun!_" he exclaimed.

Maria looked up from the turkey in shock, until he took it out of the box and let her see what it really was. It had a wacky design. It was perfectly fitted for Matthew's hands.

"Pull the trigger," Ivo told him.

A large stream of bubbles came bursting out. Matthew laughed hysterically.

"Built it myself," Ivo added quietly. He faced Maria. "How's everyone doing?"

"Well, it's just us," she replied. "Nothing much ever happens."

Ivo looked around the room. "You haven't done much to the house. Of course, there isn't much you can do…"

Maria just shrugged. "Time to eat!" she said to Matthew. "Put the gun down."

"But Mom!" he protested. "I'm shooting monsters."

"It's Christmas. I'm sure the monsters have to eat, too," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah. They wanna eat _you!_"

One everyone had sat down, Maria began serving up the turkey. Ivo watched Matthew eat his. He couldn't help but notice how good his manners were. He handled the fork properly. He used his napkin. He chewed with his mouth closed. He never complained about his food. It made Ivo wish he had a child.

"So, Dad couldn't make it?" Ivo asked Maria. It was more of a statement, not a question.

"Yep," Maria answered simply.

"Eighth year in a row," Ivo grumbled.

"Mom?" said Matthew.

"Yeah?"

"Where's my dad?"

The question caused Maria to feel a pang of sadness and regret. "He's… gone."

"Where?"

"Someplace… Someplace far away."

"Where?"

"I don't know where he is, honey." Now she was starting to sound fed up.

Ivo was becoming intrigued. "_Who_ is his father?" he asked.

"Ivo!" she scolded. "_Not at the table._"

She's forgotten many times that Ivo was unaware of the story behind Matthew. It made her sad that he didn't know his nephew was a monster. Matthew's origin was to be a secret to all that weren't involved.

"Excuse me for wondering," Ivo said hotly. He began to eat his turkey, careful to not get any on his prized mustache.

"When are you going to shave that thing off?" Maria asked.

"What thing?"

"Your mustache."

"My mustache. B-but.. it's practically a part of me!"

Maria giggled. "How long have you had it?"

"Since I was younger! I've had it since I was 14!"

"It started off as just a line above your lip, and now it's long and flowing."

"It should be at the top of your head," Matthew said.

Ivo didn't like being reminded that he was bald. He pretended to pout as he finished his meal.

The scientist left a few hours later. He was staying at a hotel in downtown Westopolis, not far from Maria's suburban house. Matthew had fallen asleep in his mother's arms. It made her a little sad how peaceful and innocent he looked. His birth was still fresh in her memory. He looked so hideous and disgusting. She couldn't believe he was that _thing_ that lived in her womb. When they made him look human, did they take away that monster, or did they just hide it inside?

* * *

The past eight years had been tough for Professor Gerald Robotnik. After G.U.N. established a search for him, he relocated to Central City and built a lab there. He was so distanced from humanity, he felt like he was about to go insane. Mad scientists were the best scientists, he believed. How could G.U.N—no, the _world_—betray him like that? He was about to create something that would surmount humanity. Matthew, once his true identity was revealed, would a symbol for the world, and G.U.N. just took it away! He would never forgive them for that. Bringing Matthew into a war zone? As a child? Their ideas were more insane than his! The professor knew what he had to do. In time, he would find Matthew and help him find who he really was. What Maria _really_ gave birth to. Then, the search would begin.

Gerald left his desk and went to a special part of his home/lab, a part he called the "Chaos Room". In it were seven canisters. Two of them already contained a Chaos Emerald, the name "the Chaos Room".

"I will find the Chaos Emeralds!" he shrieked.


	3. 15 Years Later - Amy Rose

_7 Years Later_

Matthew's life was perfect, and he knew it. He had a kind, loving family, albeit small. School was going great, even though he had very few friends. Even though there were obvious downs, he always found the ups. He knew life could be much worse. He could be homeless, he could be poor, he could have no family at all, he could be unable to attend school. His life was pretty normal. He liked it that way. He was a freshman in high school. Even though he kept his spirits up, he had to face the fact that he was the lowest of the low. Of course, there was that girl he liked. Her name was Amy. Amy Rose. She was a year older than him. Sophomores were more likeable than freshmen, especially the cool or cute ones. Amy was definitely one of the cute ones. Her blond hair was long and kind of curly. Her green eyes could look at you and make you drop dead. They were so starry… so beautiful. Matthew thought he was the only one who knew her eyes were green. All the other guys were too busy staring at her butt or her chest. Matthew was more modest. He was raised not to be rude.

They went to East High in Westopolis. There were three other high schools in the city: North, South and Central High. Matthew was one of the best students in his freshmen class. He had all A's except for one B, thanks to a recent test in Biology. The school lacked in education, but made up for it with really talented athletes. Those jocks were the main people to bully Matthew. He tried to ignore it. He was smart and his teachers liked him.

Today, Matthew was deep in thought, like most days. He didn't speak very much. It wasn't like anyone wanted to talk to him anyway.

"Hey, Matt."

Except for Amy.

Matthew was at his locker when he heard her voice. It was just after third period. It surprised him so much he dropped his things. He turned to see Amy standing there, beaming at him.

"H-hey," he stammered, still in shock. _Be friendly. Smile at her,_ his mom's words repeated in his mind.

"So, um, can you help me with my Algebra at lunch?" she asked.

Matthew hesitated, giving her enough time to add, "You're, like, the smartest person I know."

He decided to try on that smile. "Yeah, sure," he said.

"Thank God. You're a lifesaver." She squeezed his shoulder as she walked away.

_She digs me,_ he thought to himself cockily.

Fourth period was Geometry. After that came English. Then lunch. Instead of paying attention in class, he kept thinking about Amy. What did that shoulder squeeze mean? Was she flirting with him? Wait, a girl flirting with _him?_ The idea would baffle anyone. Matthew definitely wasn't ugly. He just seemed… weird. He often wore black clothes, but it was only because he liked the color black. He though the clothes went well with his black hair. Also, people were weirded out by his red eyes. He was probably the only one on the planet with eyes that red. The other kids also thought his fascination with motorcycles was strange. He wasn't trying to be a phony who thought he was badass. He just liked bikes!

Amy was different, though. She wasn't judgmental like the others. She was his only friend, and the closest thing to a best friend he ever had. But he guessed Amy didn't think of the two of them as _best_ friends. They never hung out outside of school. But she treated him nicely. She didn't make him feel like he was the lowest of the low.

He went back to his initial question: was she flirting with him? Surprisingly, as beautiful as she was, she really didn't _flirt._ Matthew liked that about her. She was the only girl in the school who didn't act like she knew she was hot. This year she dated a couple of Average Joes. No football stars, no basketball stars, just regular guys.

Matthew was so caught up in her he almost didn't hear the bell ring. But he would do anything for love. He would spend next period thinking about how to ask her out.

* * *

It was finally time for lunch. Matthew was so excited he felt like he might pee himself. He never felt so strongly about Amy before. Just one squeeze on his shoulder?

Matthew found a small round table. He brought his own lunch from home. He started eating it as he waited for her. Around 30% of him knew about the possibility of her ditching him. But he was wrong. He heard a clang on the table—the sound of Amy setting her tray down.

"You brought your own lunch?" she asked.

He looked up and let the corners up his mouth form into a small smile. "Yep."

"The food _is_ kind of gross," she said, sitting down.

Matthew noticed she didn't bring a book or a notebook. "Where's your algebra?" he asked.

"Oh. Um… I didn't bring it. I figured it out."

"Good for you." He took a bite out of his sandwich.

"What're you eating?" he heard her ask.

"Let's see." He look in his lunchbag. "I brought… an apple, some pudding, and a sandwich."

"That's not a lot."

Matthew could feel himself sweating. Why was this so weird for him? She didn't bring her Algebra… She had time to finish it? Or maybe it wasn't done, but she still didn't need help.

"Your eyes are really pretty," she said.

A compliment.

"Uh, thanks," he said, looking up at her.

"How did you get them so red?"

"I don't know why they're like that. I was just… I don't know. I was just born with them."

"How are you _born_ with red eyes?"

He looked down at his food and shrugged. "Someone in my family must've had red eyes."

She giggled. "You're so mysterious."

They ate in silence for awhile. Amy kept texting her friends, while Matthew just stared out the window.

"Can I get a picture with you?" she asked, making his train of thought crash and burn.

"What?"

"A picture. For Facebook."

_She likes me,_ he thought. Now he was starting to get scared. A girl never "liked him" liked him before.

And he hated getting his picture taken.

"Sure."

Amy moved beside him and held the phone in front of them. Matthew thought the finished product looked pretty good.

"Hey, Amy!" a voice yelled. It was a tall senior with blond hair. "Stop hangin' out with Martin and come over here!"

"His first name's Matthew, and I'd rather be with him than you!"

Matthew faced away from them, not liking being the topic of conversation.

The bell rang. "See you later, Matt."

"See ya."

He felt happy, scared and confused all at the same time. All he knew was that he was in love with Amy Rose.

"HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLP!" he texted to his mom.

"Wut is it?"

"I think Amy Rose likes me"

"Y do u need help?"

"Cuz I dont know wut to do"


	4. Maria's Advice

Matthew walked home today. The city of Westopolis was colossal. Skyscrapers were everywhere in this futuristic city. A global city, it was one of the financial capitals of the world with strengths in business, international trade, science, culture, medicine, research and technology. Its population was just over 6 million. It had also become one of the most corrupt cities in the U.S. The mob controlled some of its banks, ragging in lots of money. There were a few corrupt officers in the police department, easily bribed by criminals with lots of cash. But worst of all, the mayor was corruptible. He made no efforts to stop crime in the city. In his speeches and press conferences, he viewed Westopolis as "a place where evil does not prevail." He failed to see that evil was everywhere. The city was about to enter a depression thanks to the crime lords. Crime would eventually drain Westopolis until it was dry.

Nearly all of the citizens of the metropolitan area, including Matthew and his mother Maria, wanted something to be done about all the crime. Just a few days ago, the mayor released a statement saying he would take care of the problem. B.S., everyone thought. Corruption would bring the city to its demise. Yet no city officials seemed to care!

Walking through the city by yourself was dangerous, no matter what time of day. Criminals hid in the alleyways, waiting for someone who was: a) carrying a purse/handbag, b) wearing a suit/dress or c) walking home from school. Teens were so gullible, so naïve. All it took was some manipulative talking & a few punches in the gut, and the criminal inside them was born.

Westopolis, once known as a land of opportunity, was one of the least safe places in the world.

But Matthew didn't think so. He deeply loved this city. He grew up here. He knew there was good in it. The people who weren't making a living on crime were hardworking citizens. They were the ones who kept the city going. He knew that one day, someone would rise up and change people's lives forever. A hero would eventually come to save the city.

"The night is darkest just before the dawn" he would always say.

Matthew learned a good technique for walking home: look pissed off, and no one will touch you. Thanks to his black clothes, black hair and red eyes, he could fool anyone. He made it home safely around 4:20. He still lived in that same small, barely-supportive house since he was 8. When entering the one-story house, you could immediately turn right to go to the kitchen. The dining room was also there. Or, you could turn left to see a small hallway with Maria's room, the bathroom and Matthew's room. A small, old-looking TV sat in the living room.

"Mom?" the teen yelled. No answer. She was probably on her way home from work. He grabbed his laptop from his room and logged on to Facebook. Sure enough, there was a notification that he was tagged in a photo by Amy Rose. He thought it looked pretty good. Amy was making a funny face (while still maintaining her beauty) while Matthew was smiling charmingly. He was surprised to see it had 16 Likes. He clicked "Like" and turned shut the laptop.

His mom came in a few minutes later. She was struggling to carry some grocery bags. Without any of them saying a word, Matthew took and carried some for her.

"Thanks, Matt," she said tiredly.

"Yep."

Around 6:40, it was time to eat. Maria had prepared some chicken alfredo. It was one of Matthew's favorite foods. They had a nightly dinnertime conversation.

"So… Amy Rose likes you?" Maria began.

"Yep."

"Do you like her?"

"I can't think of one person who doesn't."

"Tell me what happened."

"Well, it was really awkward, but it felt good afterward. She came up to me and asked to help her with her homework at lunch…"

"Isn't she a sophomore?"

"Yeah. She said I'm the smartest person she knows. So, lunch comes, but she doesn't have any books or anything with her."

"Oh. She made up a reason to be with you at lunch."

"That's what I thought, but I wasn't too sure."

"I'm sure that's what it was. It probably would feel weird for her if she asked you directly if you wanted to."

"Mm-hm. So I say yes, and she squeezes my shoulder."

Maria look surprised. "Really? For how long?"

"Like, a second."

"Well, when a girl likes a guy, she might do anything to touch him. To see how 'toned' he is."

Matthew snickered. "I'm not toned."

"Sure you are, Matt! I _know_ that girls stare at you every day."

"That can't be true. Then why don't they come up and talk to me?"

"Because girls fear rejection. Just like guys do."

"Interesting. Moving on. So lunch comes, she doesn't bring anything, and we have a weird conversation."

"What'd you talk about?"

Matthew though for a moment. "Well, _nothing,_ really. She said my eyes are pretty. And she called me _mysterious._"

Maria grinned. Her teeth were straight and white. "Well, you _are_ pretty mysterious."

"But, my eyes… Mom, why are my eyes _red?_"

"I don't know, okay?" She was sounding very defensive, like he'd just asked her a very personal question.

"Okay…" he said, hurt in his voice. "Forget I asked."

Maria took a deep breath, calming down. "So, what're you going to do?"

Matthew shrugged. "What do _you_ think I should do?"

"Ask for her number," his mother replied, sounding like an expert. "Tell her you'd like to talk to her more."

"But isn't her cell in the phonebook?"

"No, no, no. Well, yes, it is, but that's not what you do. Just do it. If she likes you, she'll say yes."

"What if she says no?"

"Then just take it and act like you understand. Be okay with it."

"Huh. That's some pretty good advice."

"Yep. And if she says yes, don't forget to tell her your number."

"What _is_ my number?"

Matthew went to bed around 10. He was too excited for the next day to sleep. _Just think, _he thought. _You'll be the next boyfriend of Amy Rose._

The buzzer went off around 6 am. He lay there for a few moments before rolling to his side, saying aloud, "Ugh! Waking up _sucks!_"

_Time to hit the shower, _he told himself. _Gotta look nice for Amy…_

* * *

Matthew got to school around 7:40. Amy would occasionally go early to do her makeup and eat lunch.

"Please be there, please be there, please be there, please be there!" he begged to God.

His prayers were answered. She was sitting at a table by herself, since none of the popular kids came before 8 sharp. Instead of heading to his locker like usual, he went to go talk to her. She was about to witness his smoothness.

"Hey, Amy," he said casually.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Matt! How're you?"

"I'm great," he said sitting down. "Tired, but great. How're you?"

"I'm pretty good." She talked about how excited she was that cheerleading was over and how badly she wanted school to be done. Matthew listened to evry detail, wanting her to know that he was interested in what she was saying.

"Is being a sophomore hard?" he asked.

"Probably won't be for you, but for the others, yeah."

Matthew peered at the clock. It was almost time for class to start.

"Are you up for lunch again today?" he asked. He immediately regretted how he asked her that. He didn't want to sound too friendly. What if she thought he was a creep?

He needn't worry. She said yes. She even asked him if he wanted to go to Subway with her.

Matthew was very surprised, and he tried his best not to show it.

"T-today?"

"Yeah. I'm sick of the food here. I don't think I'll eat breakfast or lunch here ever again."

Now Matthew was scared. He felt safe in this school. He was worried that he'd turn into a nervous wreck if he hung out with a girl outside of school.

He didn't realize he wasn't answering. "Matt? Amy said.

He snapped back to attention and looked at Amy blankly.

"Did I lose you?" she asked, a look of amusement on her face.

"No. I'll go with you. To Subway. With you. Just us. As friends and whatnot."

"Good. Here's my cell number." She tore a slip of paper off her notebook and wrote down some numbers. The bell rang as she gave it to him.

"See you," she said. She gathered up her things and headed to the hallway.

Matthew just sat there, exasperated. _Hell yeah, _he thought. _She must really like me. I didn't even mention phone numbers. Plus I'm gonna eat out with her!_

* * *

"Commander, we found something."

"What?"

A man was standing in front of a large screen. It had a map of the globe, with eight red dots on it. Said commander, the G.U.N. Commander, walked up to it, looking at it in awe. "You found…"

"The seven Chaos Emeralds, plus Matthew Martin-Robotnik."

"How did you…"

"We tracked the signature left by the Chaos Emeralds."

"I see. You found the Chaos Emeralds. But we also need _Gerald Robotnik._"

"Professor Gerald has possession of one the Emeralds, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does."

"So we believe the professor's either here—" he pointed to Central City's location—"or here—" he pointed to Westopolis's location.

"I see. And the rest of the Emeralds are across the ocean," the Commander said, looking at the rest of the map.

"Yes, sir."

"Hmmm… We'' go to Westopolis first. If the professor's not there, at least we'll have picked up Matthew. Then, we'll take a trip to Central City."


	5. The Date

It happened so fast. One moment: Matthew was brimming with confidence, the next: Matthew was scared for his life. Was he going on a _date_ with Amy? If he ended up paying for her, then yes, it was a date. What if she paid for him, would he just pay her back? He had to make sure this was just two friend eating together, and not a date! He'd never been on a date before… He didn't know proper dating etiquette. He'll just remember his manners and be friendly, he thought. Since Amy already liked him, there was no need to impress her.

A friend of Amy's was disdainfully staring at him during English. She obviously didn't want her friend to eat out with this guy in the next hour. Matthew could feel her eyes on him the entire class, taking in all the negative things about him.

_Why don't more people like me? _he thought to himself. _Why do they judge a book by its cover? I mean, seriously! If they got to know me the way Amy did, they'd like me, right?_

As lunch got closer, Matthew started getting more nervous. His heart was pounding as if it wanted to burst out of his chest. He felt cold and hot at the same time. _Keep it together, Matt,_ he thought. _You need to remain being charming!_

Matthew let out a silent yelp as the bell rang. Part of him wanted to stay in his seat. Groaning silently, he gathered his things and made a beeline to his locker. He had packed his lunch just in case she'd forget about the whole thing. But he bet she wouldn't have. He checked if his money was still in his pocket. It wasn't! Oh, wait, it was in his _other _pocket.

"Here goes nothin'," he said to himself.

Amy was in the cafeteria, waiting for him. He waved when he saw her. She led him to a silver minivan. It was probably a 2010 model.

* * *

"So, why _are_ your eyes red?"

"I have no clue."

Amy and Matthew were at the Subway, waiting in line. Matthew had thought he'd get a kick out of this, getting to watch a sociopath throw together his sandwich. Amy was standing behind him, poking his back. Half of him wanted her to stop, while the other half wanted her to never stop. Her turned toward her a little, trying to make it harder for her to poke him, but not too hard. He remembered his mom saying how she would want to see how toned he was. When it was their turn, Matthew ordered a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo, while Amy got a meatball sub. Matthew couldn't believe it, but he ended up paying for both of theirs. So this was a date. But that didn't make it bad. They were doing something interactive—talking—instead of something not interactive—say, watching a movie.

"Do you come here a lot?" he asked.

"Pretty much. I love it."

"Yeah, it's pretty good."

"Do you?"

"Come here a lot?"

"Mm-hm."

"Uh, no, not really. I don't have a car, so…"

"Do you have a permit?"

"Yeah. But I'm not good at driving…"

"Why?"

"Well, I'm not good at driving _cars._ Motorcycles. That's what I can drive."

Amy adjusted her hair. It was so blond, so beautiful. "So, how're your parents doing?"

"My mom's doing fine."

Silence. "What about your dad?"

"Uh, I don't ever get to see him," he said, trying to make it sound like no big deal.

"When's the last time you did?"

"…Never."

"What do you mean, 'never'?"

"I've never seen him. I don't even know who he is. My mom doesn't seem to know either."

"That's too bad… Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Despite saying that, Matthew was starting to get uncomfortable. "How's your family?"

"Great. My dad just got promoted, and my mom recently got a raise."

"Wow, that's lucky."

"I know, right? And I'm gonna go back to lifeguarding this summer. Are you planning on doing anything?"

"I want to get a job, too. I just don't know what's out there. And I'm only 15."

"You'll find something."

"So where do your parents work?"

"They both work for the law firm."

An easily corruptible place to work, Matthew thought. "That's cool," he said.

"Where does your mom work?"

"She works full-time at the hospital and part-time at a diner."

All they really did was talk. It was a conversation Matthew wished he could have again and again. They talked more about their future plans and what they wanted to do. Amy talked a lot about doing volleyball and cheerleading again next year. Matthew didn't talk about next year that much, other than what classes he was taking. He even made her laugh from time to time. He noticed that her hands were often close to his. She even "accidentally" touched the once. Suddenly they stopped talking and just stared into each other's eyes. Even though it was nerve-wracking, Matthew did his best to not look away and keep that friendly look in his eye. After ten weird seconds, Matthew finally said, "We better go."

Amy didn't rush to get to back to school on time. It seemed like she was driving slower than she was on the way to Subway. While she was driving, Matthew was scribbling his cell number on a napkin.

"You wanna do this again sometime?" he asked.

"Definitely."

"Would Monday work?"

"Yes, it will."

When they pulled into the parking lot, they stared at each other deeply again. Matthew could've sworn he felt a spark, and he knew Amy felt it, too. Her head slowly started moving close to his, so he did the same thing. They both closed their eyes… and brushed their lips against one another's. Matthew would've shot off like a rocket if the seatbelt wasn't holding him. Amy smiled coyly as she brought her hand up to his cheek, touching it tenderly. She tenderly wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him into a lip lock. Matthew almost melted. This feeling he was getting… It was so heavenly, so otherworldly. He put a hand on her leg, not knowing what to do with it. She smiled and pushed him back to where he was. Had he done something wrong. He was surprised to see her get on top of him, straddling his hips, and continuing their make-out session. He still wanted to be polite, so neither of them tried anything weird.

"You're a good kisser," she said teasingly, her lips a half-inch away from his.

"Th-thanks… You are, too…"

"Wanna hang out sometime after school?"

"I, um… uh…"

"I just want to kiss you forever," she breathed, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"But what about school?"

"Screw school," she said.

Matthew walked home with a little swagger in his step. He guessed he was officially dating Amy Rose. He knew he had missed his afternoon classes, but being with Amy was well worth it.

"Hey, Mom," he called as he entered his house. No answer. Weird. Today was her day off, wasn't it? He took a step forward, then felt an enormous pain in his leg. It hurt so much, he didn't even scream. He collapsed on the ground saw what it was: a tranquilizer. _A tranquilizer?_ He could feel the world slipping away. He saw meny men in black military uniforms, pointing their guns. At him. He could hear his mom's voice.

_Don't worry, Matt, it's just to make you sleep…_ her voice said. _You're going to be alright…_

* * *

Ivo was working in his lab when two men with the same uniforms entered.

"How did you…?" he began to ask them.

"Save it, Robotnik."

* * *

Matthew tried to say something, _anything,_ but nothing would come out.

_Everything's going to be okay,_ Maria's voice said.

* * *

"Uncle of Matthew Martin-Robotnik. Son of Gerald Robotnik. We're possessing your equipment as propert of the Guardian Units of Nations."

* * *

_It's okay, Matthew…_

* * *

"Wuh? How? Why?"

"Just do what we say, or we _will _use force."

* * *

_Matthew…_

* * *

"Please! NOOOOO!" Ivo screamed.

More men came in. "What's in there?" one of them asked, pointing to a safe.

"N-n-nothing!" said Ivo. "Hon-honest!"

* * *

_Matt?_

* * *

"It's… a Chaos Emerald!" exclaimed another soldier.

* * *

_Matthew!_

Blackness.


	6. Exhile

Whiteness.

Ivo sat alone in his lab. G.U.N. had cleaned out everything. All of his gadgets, robots, machines… _gone._

"Why would they do this to me?" Ivo said to himself. "What have I done? I didn't deserve this!" He stood up and looked at his desk. The only things remaining there were framed photos, of Maria, Matthew, and his father Gerald. He grabbed the picture of Maria and Matthew, looking at it, remembering the G.U.N. solder saying, _Ivo Robotnik, uncle of Matthew Martin-Robotnik?_ "Wait… Did they do this… because I'm his uncle?" He started to get angry. "The little brat is insignificant!" He threw the picture against the wall, shattering the glass. "What's so important about _him?_ And why did they take my Emerald?" He stomped his foot as he said his next words: "The commander said it was mine!"

Ivo toppled the desk over, crushing his father's photo. "I _will_ find Matthew's importance, and when I do… oh, he'll regret it!" He raised his fist in the air. "I'll rebuild, become stronger than ever! I'll build an empire, then extinguish G.U.N.! No one will stand in my way! And those who do… will burn to ashes! Ho ho ho ho ho!

"Computer!" he shouted. A beep sounded, responding to his voice. G.U.N. hadn't taken away _everything._

"Yes, doctor," said a female, robotic voice.

"It's time for a new machine! I'll call it… the Death Egg Robot! Ho ho ho!"

* * *

Matthew let out a blood-curdling scream. He knew he still had his mouth, which was on his face, which was a part of his head, which was on top of his neck, which was attached to his back, which was set upon his legs. Yet, he couldn't _feel _his body. Instead, he felt like an empty void, like he wasn't there at all. Where was he, anyway? He could hear something…. It sounded like… an ocean. He could hear seagulls and rolling waves. He could feel the sand beneath his body, and the wind coursing through him. He could smell the sand, too. His breathing was returning to normal… His mouth was dry, and a bitter taste was in his mouth. All he had to do now was open his eyes. But why did it take so much effort to do so? Millimeter by millimeter, his eyelids gradually peeled themselves apart. All he could see was red. Matthew had no energy to freak out. He just waited until his vision became clearer. The seagulls, the waves, the sand… He knew he was at a beach. He closed his eyes again.

His mom's voice seemed to whisper with his the wind.

_Matthew…_

"M…Mom…" His voice was softer than a breath.

_It's going to be alright, Matt…_

"M-Mom… Hel…help me…"

_Matthew… Matt, run!_

"Where… are you…?"

_Get out of here, Matt! Go!_

"I can't leave… without… you… Ughhhhhh…"

Maria's voice gave Matthew strength. The red in his vision became clear. The beach and its features were seeable as they were tangible. He tried to get up, but was too tired to. He was able to lift his head and look around. He gasped sharply as he saw a wrecked… cell? Cage? It looked like something that could fit in a stasis tube. He got to his knees and tried to remember anything before this. All he could remember was him running down a hall with Maria. Having regained energy, he made his way to the water. He didn't care that it was saltwater, he was thirsty! Parched, he looked at his reflection in the water. What he saw blew him away. He didn't look like himself at all! He looked so outlandish, so non-human, so… _alien._ His entire body, except for the area around his mouth, was covered in black fur. Helooked skinnier and slightly cartoony. Quills with red stripes stood out the back of his head. A small tuft of white hair was on his chest. His facial expression looked harsh, like he was pissed off. There was nothing separating his eyes, making it look like he had one eye, also cartoonish. To finish it off, he had a small, black nose.

"What _happened_ to me?" he said aloud. "I look like a monster!"

He grabbed his stomach with his large black hands as he heard it grumble.

"So hungry…" he said in a shaky voice. He looked up at the sky and yelled again. He slammed his fist into the ground, causing a loud _pshhhhhhh…_ So, his new appearance gave him lots of strength.

_I better start walking, somewhere…_

He looked at the special cage as he walked past it. Looking at it made him angry. He let out a scream of rage and leapt toward it. He kicked it as he came up on it, shattering it to more pieces. The rage… It made him fell heavy, yet light at the same time. The sand in between his toes ticked him off, too. He cursed as he jumped on top of the hill above. The grass felt better. There was a road leading to an interstate. Maybe someone would give him ride to the next town? Highly unlikely. People always feared what they didn't understand. No one would understand him, not like the way he was.

At least 60 cars honked at Matthew as they whooshed past. So, instead of walking along the road, he moved to the tall grass. It would look more natural for a black creature to walk in the tall grass.

Matthew was getting hot. It seemed like he was going nowhere at all. What state was he in, anyway? Was he even in the U.S.? The cars looked American, and the signs were in English. Finally he saw a sign that said a town named Malone was in five miles. Five miles wasn't so bad. He'd already walked at least 100. The sun was starting to set, and the temperature was getting cooler. His legs were getting tired, but he kept on walking and finding new strength. Matthew seemed to have an endless amount of energy with his new look. He remembered that tranquilizer that shot his leg. Did it… give him these powers? Or did something happen while he was out? What was on his mind the most was his mom. Where was she? How could he find her? Was she back in Westopolis?

Matthew finally got to Malone. It was a nice little town. His mind lost from the hunger and thirst, he forgot he looked like a black hedgehog, walking into the open public. Their screams of fear, the way they ran away from him, it ticked him off more. Matthew tried to keep his cool and found his way to a grocery store. Maybe _someone_ would understand… His eyes were glowing red with anger, but he kept his real rage inside. He walked in the store and looked around. It was empty. His stomach growled again. Suddenly, he could hear a helicopter. He heard a voice speak over a megaphone: "Whatever you are, come out now! Slowly!"

Matthew decided he should. He didn't want trouble with these people. Would they let him explain that he was just hungry? Really, _really_ hungry? Matthew was literally _starving. _All he wanted was a loaf of bread.

Matthew stepped outside for them to see. He was surrounded by police and their cars and they were all pointing their guns at him. Animal control was there, too. They apparently didn't know how to confront an anthropomorphic hedgehog. A man with a stick with a hook on the end began steadily creeping up on him. This pissed Matthew off _a lot._ When the man got close enough, Matthew grabbed the stick and hit him with it. The blow sent the man flying. He then jumped on top of a car and began tearing it apart.

"Fire!" a policeman yelled.

All the units began shooting their guns at Matthew. However, the bullets were bouncing off his body instead of killing him. The bullets didn't hurt, but they sure annoyed him. He got off the car, still taking their shots. One policeman right next to him was shooting him in the eye. They bullets just bounced off of it.

Matthew stood up straight and continued to let himself be bombarded with firing. Now it was really starting to make him mad. He could feel rage building up inside him. It even felt like it could be released. He could feel his body starting to glow a crimson light.

"_STOP!_" Matthew yelled in rage.

"What's it doing!" asked one of the officers.

"Get outta the way!" another one yelled.

Matthew couldn't hold it in any longer. With one final angry roar, he unleashed the anger inside him. It was literally an explosion of crimson light. To Matthew, it felt so good to let it out, and he fell to the ground in exhaustion. He opened his eyes to see everything in the blast radius destroyed. Every police car was ablaze, and very person had been incinerated. Matthew would've taken longer to look at what he'd done, but he heard more sirens in the distance. He had to get out of there.

He was surprised by how athletic he'd become. He leapt over buildings as the cops chased him. He decided he'd confuse them by hiding in an alleyway. He found a corner and curled up there. He then waited for the sirens to fade away. Tears were flowing out of his eyes.

"I killed them…" he sobbed. "I _killed_ them…"

After about a half-hour, Matthew cried himself to sleep. He was still starving, and another long day would await him tomorrow.


	7. To Keep Testing Himself

**As of today, the story has nearly 1,000 views! Thank you so much to all of those that have read this fic. It means a lot. :)**

It was still dark when Matthew awoke. The crickets were chirping, and the smell of the alleyway was setting in. His eyes instantly adjusted to the darkness. He started to breathe heavily as he remembered the events that happened just three or four hours ago. He closed his eyes, trying to envision himself back at his house in Westopolis, trying to hear his mom's voice. He opened his eyes, trying to grasp the vision, trying to make it real. He wanted it to be his reality, not this! He was living in a nightmare! He had to escape! But soon, the vision faded away, and Matthew just sat there, alone.

"Time to get up," he said to himself. He reached his hand out, searching for something to help pull himself up. He eventually gave up, exhausted. Tears were rolling down his little cheeks. Even after a few hours' rest, he had no energy.

He looked at the dumpster he was sitting by. Should he… No, that was disgusting! But it was the only way.

He found a small reserve of strength to stand up. He opened the dumpster, and began digging.

It was impossible to see what he was doing. He dug out anything that smelled decent. He found a paper bag with contents that smelled of McDonald's. Not caring how old it was, he grabbed what was in it and scarfed it down. It still had some flavor, but its texture was nauseating. But he was _so _hungry. He had to keep eating. He needed the nourishment. The dumpster smelled like a mix of diapers and rotten eggs. He ate anything seemed edible, including fried chicken skins, thrown out leftovers, and disposed restaurant food. After a quite filling meal, Matthew rolled out of the dumpster, no longer starving.

As he lay there, he wondered what to do next. He could either walk or stay hidden. Since it was night, his black fur would make him difficult to see. Could he hide during the day? He hated walking in the sun. But could he still be seen? Where would he hide? The last thing he wanted was to cause another catastrophe. He made a decision: he'd set off, find out where he was, and find a way home.

There weren't many cars driving on the highway, so Matthew walked on the side of the road instead of in the tall grass. While he walked, he thought about Amy. He had no idea what day of the week it was, but he hoped he would get home by Monday. He had a feeling it was Sunday night… or Monday morning. _Damn!_ he thought.

He kept thinking about their kiss. The memory of it was so vivid, like he was reliving it. The way she kissed him felt weird… but good kind of weird. It made him feel safe, like she was protecting him with her embrace.

Matthew remembered what happened in Malone. He remembered jumping around to get away from police. Would that… make his journey quicker? Walking was boring. Not tiring, but boring. Besides, Matthew would never know the limits of his powers if he didn't push himself. So he began a running start. He was surprised by how fast he was going. It was like he instantly went from a jog to a sprint. His legs were carrying him faster than they ever had. He felt like the wind, breezing past without slowing down. He looked at his legs and was surprised to see them moving like a blur. A smile crept on his face he loved this fast feeling. The concrete below his bare feet didn't hurt at all.

He jumped. It wasn't a very big jump, maybe about ten feet high. A little disappointed, Matthew jumped again, this time higher. He jumped again right when he hit the ground, sending him flying.

"Woooooooo!" he screamed in glee. "Yeah!"

He jumped again when he landed, and this one cleared at least a mile. He jumped again, this time going two or three miles.

A crazy idea entered his mind…

Could he fly?

He had no idea how, though. He extended his arms forward, doing a Superman stance. It didn't seem to wok, though. He could feel gravity starting to pull him down. His current position was awkward, making him unable to prepare for a hard landing. He spiraled toward the earth, and belly flopped the ground.

The impact formed a small crater. However, Matthew got up, dazed, but otherwise unharmed. Uncaring, he started his jumps again. Okay, so maybe he couldn't fly. But it didn't matter since he had his super-jumps. Jumping felt even better than running. He couldn't help but feel a part of the night sky as he passed through the clouds with the wind beneath his body. It gave him peace, something he really needed.

Matthew stopped to rest when the sun began peeking over the horizon. He'd gone quite far, _much _farther than walking. He'd followed the path of the interstate the entire time, so he wouldn't get lost. A clump of trees was by the road, so Matthew decided to hide there. When he got there, he vomited everything he'd eaten from the dumpster.

* * *

It was a couple hours later, and the sun had made it to the sky, giving it a bright blue. Matthew heard a strange noise. It sounded like a semi, but it was right outside the trees. The black hedgehog decided to check it out. He climbed a nearest tree to get a good look. He held in a gasp when he saw a tank hanging around by the road, which was being blocked off by two more tanks and a black hummer. It didn't take long for Matthew to put 2 and 2 together.

"They're here for me," he growled. "Who are these guys?"

People in black military uniforms were walking around, talking amongst themselves. They looked exactly like the people who raided his home. There was one man, however, who was not wearing a black uniform, and instead was wearing a green commander's suit. Matthew had a feeling he was their leader.

Someone spoke out of a megaphone. "Matthew! We're know you're there! Come out _peacefully!_"

_Like hell,_ Matthew thought, starting to get the familiar feeling of rage. How did these people know he was Matthew? He looked completely different than what he used to be, like he was an entirely new being! But he remembered the destruction he caused in Malone. He didn't want a fight like last time. He jumped down and emerged from the trees.

"Put your hands up!" shouted the commander.

Matthew ignored him. He continued walking toward them, reading the letters on their uniforms, which were G, U, and N. G.U.N.? He'd heard of them. They were also called the Guardian Units of Nations, weren't they? Now he was feeling a little intimidated.

"Who are you, and how do you know I'm Matthew?" he asked.

"We are G.U.N., and I'm the G.U.N. Commander, remember?"

Matthew made a face. "What do you mean by 'remember'?"

"What, you don't remember us, Matt?"

"No," said Matthew. "All I know is your punks broke into my house and made me sleep, and I woke up on a beach. I've been taking care of myself since then."

"And how's that working out for you?" the commander jabbed.

Matthew didn't flinch. "Did you do this to me?" he asked.

"In a way, yes. Please surrender, so we can avoid a fight."

The irises of Matthew's eyes began to glow as his rage built up. "No, not until you answer me! Where's my mom?!"

"You sound like a little kid. You're 15."

"_Where is she?! What did you do to her?! What did you do to ME?!_"

"Please, liste-"

The commander was cut short when Matthew leaped off the ground, toward him. As Matthew came down, he threw a punch, but the commander moved out of the way, causing Matthew to punch the ground instead.

"Engage!" the commander shouted.

The G.U.N. soldiers fired their tank machine guns at Matthew, but the same thing from before happened: the bullets just bounced off his body. Matthew jumped on the nearest tank and unleashed a barrage of punches on the soldier on it. The soldier was knocked unconscious, Matthew's eyes were still glowing red. He looked at another tank, shooting red-colored beams at it. It instantly exploded, killing the soldier in it. Another person killed…

Another soldier was shooting him from a different tank. Unable to control it, Matthew shot his Beam Vision at that one, too. He saw the G.U.N. Commander hiding behind a hummer. Matthew moved his hand liked he was throwing a ball, and threw a Chaos Spear at him, but the commander evaded it in time. Matthew was extremely angry by now. Now all he wanted was to crush the commander, but had to resist. He need to fight his rage. With a loud scream of misery, he forced himself to super-jump away.

The commander watched as the black hedgehog leap away and fade into the sky. He knew he'd created a monster.


	8. The Party

Amy had always wondered what happened to Matthew. He'd been gone for a week now, and she never heard from him. One day, she went to his house check up on him. After knocking for 15 minutes, she decided to just go in. To her surprise, the house was completely empty. No TV, no furniture, no tables, no Matthew. Okay, so he moved away without telling her? What a dick.

She decided she would tell her friends about it when they were at the mall.

"Why would he not tell me?" she asked.

"Did he tell anyone?" asked her best friend, whose nickname was Cream.

"I don't know. No one seems to notice he's gone."

"Maybe you scared him off?"

Amy brushed her hair out of her eyes. "What? No. He would've just said something, wouldn't he? I mean, he's a nice guy. Or he was. I don't know…"

Cream shrugged. She was two years younger than Amy. "Well, he's history now. Move on. Look, there's some guy behind us staring at you."

Amy turned slightly, seeing a grown man staring at her creepily.

"No way," she said. They both laughed.

"But, I liked Matt," she continued. "He was… different. In a good way. He cared about me, unlike those other douchebags. Like, he really wanted to get to know me, and I could definitely tell he was into me."

"So why'd he leave?" Cream asked.

Amy glared at her. Then she heard someone calling her name. It was a boy's voice. Could it be… Matthew? She looked around to see who it was. It was just Richard, the start of the football team. He had three girls with him, too, all of them friends of Amy. Except for Richard, they came with Amy and Cream to the mall. They'd left previously to get a soda.

"Amy, Richard's having a party at his place tonight," said the first girl. "You should come."

Amy looked at Cream, who was giving her a look that said, "Don't do it."

* * *

Amy needed something to forget about Matthew. Almost all of the juniors and seniors were at the party. As soon as she got there, someone handed her a red plastic cup. Not caring what was in it, she gulped it down. It didn't take too much talking to convince her parents into letting her go. All she did was tell them she was going to a movie, and her parents trusted her. She didn't go to too many parties like this. She wasn't really the "party girl" type. She love get-togethers, but none like this. She came to the part with a mission: get hammered. Soon Matthew really would be a thing of the past.

But for some reason, she only drank two cups of the mysterious punch. The party was getting wild. Too wild. Someone had apparently brought a crowbar, and they were smashing holes into the wall. Another person was throwing toilet paper around, and someone else was ruining the walls with spraypaint. Amy found Richard and asked him what was going on.

With bloodshot eyes, he answered with a slur," We're just havin' some funamy. Lighten upalittle, will ya?"

"These guys are ruining your house!" she protested.

"Getoffmyass, will ya?" he slurred.

Amy found her friends. "We're leaving," she told them. "Now."

"Nooooo…!" one of them whined. All three of them were drunk.

"Stay 'n' partyyy…" the third one droned.

"Whatever," Amy said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going. I was supposed to be home an hour ago."

With that, she left, bawling. She didn't know why she was crying. She just was. Maybe it was because she had to walk home since someone from the party totaled her car. But it was probably because she realized that she missed Matthew. He and Cream were her only friends, not like those drunk whores. Right now, all she wanted was to be with her Matt.

The ground trembled, but only for a second, like an extremely quick earthquake. Then silence. Then it trembled again. Then silence. Then it trembled again. It felt like there was a giant walking. The steps started making noise.

_Crash._

_Crash._

_Crash._


	9. Why Am I Like This?

_The Next Morning…_

A man and his wife were at a bank, which turned out to be mob-owned. They were there to get a loan, but they were failing.

"You see, you need a cosigner," the banker told them. "We need to know that _somebody_ will pay us back."

"Well, what about one of us?" the man asked.

T banker shook his head, resisting the urge to smirk. These people were so desperate… If the bank was the way it was back in the day, they could get their loan without a cosigner. "Your credit," he said, "does not exist."

They were silent for a moment. "So, we can't get a loan…" the man said.

The banker wadded up his face, pretending to feel bad. "That's the way it looks…"

The bank shook for a split second. People immediately stopped talking, making the bank completely silent. It shook again, and the roof began to collapse. Pounds and pounds of rubble and debris fell on top of people. The roof finally gave in, revealing the sky, and something else… a giant, sphere-shaped robot that looked like a bald person with a large mustache. Its body was red, except for a yellow "collar" around the head.

"Behold, the Death Egg Robot!" shouted a voice. Many smaller robots flew out of the Death Egg Robot. It jumped into the bank, with two yellows on the back that held it "fly" and land safely. The banker & the man and his wife were killed.

* * *

Matthew, still in his black hedgehog form, finally made it home. Super-jumping made his journey only last a day. It had been the most difficult time in his life, but he pulled through. He was proud of himself for that. Of course, it was thanks to his newly acquired appearance. This new form gave him strength to get through this trip.

Matthew wondered why using his powers felt so natural. His Chaos Blast, his Chaos Spear, his Beam Vision… Using his powers felt like moving his body—all he had to do was do it. But these powers… They were a curse to him. All he did with them was destroy innocent lives and scare people. He became top news in Florida, where Malone was. Everyone was looking for him, albeit not knowing how to handle something that wasn't even human. But Matthew knew he was still human. All he had to do was find someone who could reverse what happened to him. But where would he find someone like that?

After super-jumping around the city for a bit, Matthew found his house in the suburbs. He landed with a loud _crash_, shattering a small area of the street he landed on. His entire body was sore, not just his feet. He straightened himself and looked at his house. Even by looking at the outside he could tell it was empty inside. It didn't look like anyone was watching, so he stepped inside. He almost had the urge to say, "Mom, I'm home!" like he always did.

The house was completely empty. Everything was gone. The dinner table was gone, the cabinets were empty, and both his & Maria's rooms were empty.

"Mom?" called Matthew. No answer. She wasn't there. If she wasn't there, then where else would she be? Matthew put his hands over his face and cried. He was truly alone. He didn't know where his mom was, and he didn't know where his uncle was. Hell, he hardly ever saw his uncle.

"Hello, Matthew," said a voice. The hedgehog shot up and saw a man standing over him. He was bald and wore an old labcoat, and he had a mustache similar to Uncle Egg Man's, only it was gray.

"Who are you?" Matthew asked.

"The man ignored the question. "I must say, it was stupid if you to come back here. Understandable, but stupid."

"Who are you?!"Matthew asked again, this time much more forcefully. The irises of his eyes began to glow, ready to use Beam Vision on the mysterious man.

The old man scoffed. "Come, come, Matthew. Are you _really_ thinking about killing your _grandfather?_"

Matthew's eyes immediately died down. "My… my what?"

"My name is Gerald Robotnik, and I am your grandfather."

"Wh-what? You… you can't be!" Matthew began to back away from him, even though there really wasn't a reason to.

Gerald gave him a warm smile. "I am. Now, I'm sure you have many questions for me."

Questions? Questions… That's right! Matthew had questions! Didn't he?

"Um… H-how'd you find me?" he asked.

The professor chuckled. "Well, haven't you heard? 'Shadow The Hedgehog' has become a nationwide phenomenon. You're on every new channel, I'm afraid. So, I decided to stake out here, knowing you'll one day turn up."

It made sense. Matthew's next question: "Where's my mom? What've the done with her?"

"By 'they' I assume you mean G.U.N.? "

"Yeah…"

"Well, I'm afraid I don't know. I'm sure they're keeping her safe."

"But, they tranquilized me, and when I woke up, I was by this container thing. You don't know anything about that?"

Gerald shook his head. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah… Why?"

"…What do you mean?"

"Why? Why am I like this? What's so special about me? Why'd this have to happen to _me?_ My life was great, and now _it's completely screwed up!_" His eyes began to glow a again.

The professor began walking toward him. A brave move. "Matthew, I can understand how you fee-"

"How I feel? No! You! _Can't!_ Tell me! Tell me why I'm like this!" Tears started to flow out of Matthew's eyes.

Gerald sighed. It was painful to see his grandson like this. "You see, Mat…"

"_TEEEELLLLLLL MEEEEEEEE!_"

The professor reached into one of his coat's pocket and threw some photos at Matthew's feet. "Those pictures!" he shouted. "Look at them! That's what you looked like when you first _came out of your mother's womb!_"

Breathing heavily, Matthew picked up the photos. They were pictures of a baby that looked a lot like the way Matthew was at the moment. Black fur (except for the mouth area), red stripes on his head, and white streak of hair on his chest.

"H-how?" he asked. "How is this… even possible?" He dropped the photos, mortified by them.

"Your father was a creature known as Black Doom, a member of the Black Arms. He's an alien."

"An… alien?"

The professor nodded. "That's all I know about him. He gave me a piece of his DNA, and I mutated it with a human male's DNA, then gave it to Maria like a donor. The egg cells and the sperm cells accepted one another, despite being completely different, and that's how you came to be.

"Now, Matthew, I have something I think you'll like." The professor reached into his other pocket and pulled out four large gold rings.

"What're those?" Matthew asked.

"They're Inhibitor Rings. They'll help you control your power." He put the first two on Matthew's wrists, and the other two on his ankles. Matthew shuddered, and with a dim flash of red light, he felt himself become his normal self again.

Matthew was now in a gray, skintight unitard. "How'd I get in this?" he asked.

The professor shrugged. "Now, you've haven't gone completely normal. Those Inhibitors just let your control your power. And about your clothes… They go away once you're Shadow—or whatever you'll call yourself—but they return when you're Matt. Same with the Inhibitors."

"How do I switch back and forth?" Matthew asked.

"I don't know everything, Matt. Now, the media has a pretty bad image on you. I suggest you change that."

"Hmph. I'd say. But how?"

"The bank in the east side of the city is being robbed. Might I suggest you stop it?"

"But… what about you?" Matthew asked.

"I'll await your return here," said the professor. "No one expects me to be here anyway."

"G.U.N.'s looking for you, aren't they?"

"They have been for the past 15 years."

"Huh… So, when I'm back to my normal self, I won't be… naked?"

"No. You'll be in that fancy unitard."

Matthew took a deep breath. "It's good to see you, Grandpa," he said before stepping out of the house.

A cool breeze hit him as he stepped onto the street. It felt good to be human again, but now something needed to be done. He felt himself transform, and he leapt away as Shadow The Hedgehog.


	10. Encounter with Eggman

Dr. Eggman had gotten out of the cockpit of the Death Egg Robot and was now in his Eggmobile, loading cash into the back of the robot like the trunk of a car… only bigger. Egg Fighters were outside the bank combating police. Some were in the bank with Eggman. The bank had so much money, _two_ vaults were needed. Eggman was almost finished cleaning out the first vault, while a few Egg Launchers were busting down the door to the second vault. The total amount of money would give Eggman endless possibilities for building… He would be able to have robots stronger than before, powerful weapons, and even complete ships! But most importantly, he could build the ultimate weapon that he'd been dreaming of for a long time, a weapon that could make his dream of his utopia Eggmanland a reality. Then G.U.N. would pay…

A loud _thud_ sounded as the door to the second vault collapsed. The Egg Launchers and Egg Fighters hurried in and began loading the Death Egg Robot with even more money. The robot be able to handle the weight. Once the second vault was empty, Eggman issued the order "Move out!" and the robots prepared to leave.

Egg Launchers were now joining the battle outside. Policemen were firing their guns, but their bullets hardly did anything to the robots. The Launchers would fire missiles, causing police cars to explode and fly yards away. It was a war zone. The back of the Death Egg Robot closed, and the jets started to fire up. Eggman and the Eggmobile returned to the cockpit, now in control of the robot. Its arms were raised to shoulder level, and it began to walk, crushing any Fighter, Launcher, and car that got stuck in its path. People were running away, scared out of their lives, not wanting to get stepped on.

"Time to show these people what it's like to lose everything!" the doctor said. The robot aimed an arm at an apartment building, and suddenly the arm extended, plowing into the building The arm moved in a sweeping motion, destroying the building more. Eggman laughed while the arm came back to its normal length.

A woman was caught in between two semi trucks, and a thrird was blocking her path, making her stuck. She watched in horror as the robot walked toward, then seemed to look down at her. It pointed an arm at her, ready to fire. The woman lied on the ground and curled up, prepared to die. The robot fired its arm…

…but two red beams of light hit the arm as it fired, causing it to recoil back.

"What was that?!" Eggman yelled. "Hmph! I'll just try again." He aimed the arm at the woman one more time and fired, but a black creature jumped in its path and caught it just before it hit the woman. It was none other than Matthew in his Shadow form. With a loud yell, Shadow pushed the arm back, making the robot go a few yards off the ground.

"What was _that?_" the doctor asked himself again. Whatever he was, he was strong enough to catch the Death Egg Robot's arms! He had to be eliminated… The robot stood up and stomped its foot, challenging Shadow. It fired its arm at him, but he caught it. With a long strained groan, he struggled to keep it from crushing him. The longer he did, the more his rage would build. He started pushing back, but the robot fired its second arm and landed a clean hit on Shadow. He lay on the street, motionless. He managed to get on one knee, but suddenly it was dark. It was the robot's shadow! The hedgehog tried jumping out of the way, but it was no use. The Death Egg Robot landed on top of Shadow with enough force to flatten a car. His eyes glowing, he clumsily got up. This thing was tough. Who was controlling it? The mustache on the robot reminded Shadow of Uncle Ivo. He was unaware that Uncle Ivo—Dr. Eggman—was controlling it.

Rage still building up, Shadow watched the robot taunt him. That did it. He used his super-jump to tackle the robot in its stomach area, sending them both flying. Shadow had caused a sonic boom with his jump. The tackle didn't seem to hurt the robot. With his strength, he pushed the robot on the ground, doing a barrel roll as it landed. The robot got up, sustaining only scrape marks all over its body.

"Your efforts are futile, you little black rat!" the robot said through Eggman.

"Don't be racist," Shadow snarked in a low, Batman-like voice. It was then that he realized that the robot was Ivo's. _He_ had robbed the bank? Impossible… Uncle Egg Man would never do that, would he? It couldn't be him…

The Death Egg Robot's jets began to fire up. It was going to fly away!

"So long, you nasty little pincushion!" Eggman said. With a loud _poooooom_ the robot started to rise from the ground.

"W-wait!" Shadow said. He went after the robot, jumping and grabbing on to its foot.

"You can handle my attacks," said Eggman, "but can you handle the harshness of space?"

Shadow looked down, but the clouds blocked his view, not allowing him to see anything. He started climbing the robot, hoping he'd find where Eggman was controlling it. The sky started turning from blue to black. Breathing became difficult, and a wave of exhaustion coursed through his body. He was losing. Unable to continue, Shadow let go, falling back into the atmosphere. As he spiraled back to Earth, he fought for consciousness. He started feeling warm. He was becoming a fireball. His body could take endless amounts of damage, but it couldn't take space?

People gathered around the spot Shadow landed in. The impact made a giant hole. He took a few to lie there, to breathe, then attempted getting up. He could feel people's eyes on him. They were just staring at him, not thinking about anything. Just staring. He believed they were looking at him with hate. Unable to take any more of their staring, he yelled and super-jumped away.

* * *

"I failed," Shadow, back in his normal form, said.

"How?" Gerald asked.

"He… got away."

He was back in his house with his grandfather. Matthew had made it back uninjured.

"I don't suppose you know where he went, do you?" Gerald asked.

Matthew shook his head.

"Well, I guess it's hard to battle robots your first time…" Gerald said.

"I have more questions," Matthew said.

"I'm sure you do," Gerald said. "Tomorrow, though. Are you going to school tomorrow?"

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Come to Central City, then. I have something I'd like to give you."

"What?"

The professor winked. "Something I know you'll like."

"Wait, I can't go with you? Where will I sleep? How will I eat? I'm starving!"

"Temper, temper. I'm sure you have a friend you can stay with. Till then…" Gerald waved goodbye and walked out the door.

Now that Matthew though about it, he _did _have someone he could stay with…


	11. Solace

It was 9 p.m. Amy was at her house, watching TV. She was wearing a tight black tank top and striped pajama pants. She hadn't done much since the party. Luckily her parents, who were now in their bed, sleeping, never found out where she actually went. Since they were sleeping when she got home, they assumed she'd gotten home when she was supposed to.

Amy got up and went to the refrigerator for a yogurt. She picked a strawberry flavored and almost sat down when she heard a knock on the door. Who could be here at this time of night, she wondered? She was tempted to run upstairs and go to bed, not answering the door at all. But she didn't. She quickly fixed her blond hair as she made her way to the door. The person there completely shocked her.

It was Matthew.

Matthew had remembered the address she gave him. It was a long walk from his house to hers, but he made it. He looked at Amy with a tired and hopeless expression, because he _was_ tired and hopeless. Without a word, they embraced each other and locked lips. But Amy pulled away as she tasted his breath.

Matthew cleared his throat. "Um, hey," he said.

"Hey," she said back. "What happened to you? Why are you wearing… that?" she asked, pointing out his black unitard.

"It… It's a long story," he said. "I… I just…"

"Come inside," Amy said, taking his hand.

He walked in the house with her. "I, uh… Can… can I have something to eat? Please?"

"What happened to you?" Amy asked again.

It was then that Matthew was faced with a touch decision. He could tell Amy what really happened to him, or he could lie. The last thing he wanted was for her to find out he was the dreaded Shadow The Hedgehog. If he lied, what would he say? He covered his face with his hands, on the brink of crying. "I don't if I can…" he said.

"Just tell me," she said soothingly, coming to side and wrapping her arms around him.

He knew he had enough evidence to lie. His mom was gone, his house was empty, and he was on his own. He took a deep breath and avoided eye contact with Amy as he told her his made-up story:

"Okay… These guys… they broke into my house… They drugged me. They… They… My mom…"

"You don't have to tell me any more," she whispered, running her fingers through his grimy black hair.

"When I woke up," he continued, "I was in this—" he motioned at his unitard—"and I was on the side of the road." He was crying now. "I haven't eaten or brushed my teeth or anything since then."

"Shhh… You can stay here," Amy said, trying to look in his eyes. "I'll get you something to eat. Stay here."

As she left for the kitchen, Matthew realized he hadn't lied at all; he only left out the hedgehog part. His house _had_ been broken into. He _had_ been drugged. He didn't exactly wake up on the side of a road, but he _did _wake up _close_ to one. These things made him feel better. But did they take his mom? He was sure of it. Next time she saw G.U.N., he would flatten them until they gave her back to him. He sat down on the couch, still teary eyed.

All negative thoughts about Matthew had been erased from Amy's mind. She thought he moved away, but it was much worse. His life had been taken away from him, and now he was all alone. No one deserved that, especially Matthew. The criminals of Westopolis had gone too far. Who knows what they were doing his mother? Rape? Torture? Death?

She returned with a leftover pork chop. She set the plate on the coffee table in front of him, but he only stared at it. Finally, something edible…

"Go ahead," Amy said. Matthew quickly grabbed it and greedily scarfed it down, not bothering to cut it up and eat it slowly. Amy sat by his side and pulled him into a loving hug.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked him.

"…I don't know," he replied truthfully.

"Well, you can stay here, with me, for as long as you want. Mom and Dad will understand."

"Thank you," he said in an appreciative yet shaky tone. "Thank you so much." He rested his head on her shoulder and cried on it.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Why don't you get in the shower, and I'll get some of my dad's clothes for you?"

"You... You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"What if they don't understand? What if they-"

"They will," she assured him, dragging her fingers along his back.

A sigh of relaxation escaped his lips. "Okay, I guess I'll go, then. Where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall, to the left."

"Okay." Matthew got up and headed to the bathroom. It was very nice and modern. There were two sinks, and the shower was huge. Matthew closed the door and stripped. He stepped in the shower and turned it on, letting the warm water wash over him. It felt so good. He couldn't even remember his last shower. It was at his house, and that's all he knew. The Roses' showerhead was quite large. It felt like it was raining on him. He just stood there, starting to fall asleep standing up. Soon his vision got cloudy from all the steam. He didn't realize how hot it was getting. He looked at the clock in the bathroom and cursed, realizing he'd been in there for over an hour. He quickly washed his hair and his body and got out. Some socks, a T-shirt, some pajama pants, and some underwear were waiting for him on the sink counter. A new toothbrush and toothpaste were there also. The unitard was gone. He put on the clothes and brushed his teeth for five minutes wanting them to be as clean as possible.

Amy was on the couch, waiting for him. She'd gotten a pillow and a blanket for him. She smiled when she saw him. He tried to smile back but couldn't.

"Ahem," a voice said. Matthew looked to see Amy's parents standing there. They didn't look too happy.

"We'll let you stay just for tonight," Amy's dad said. "Do you have any family?"

"Yeah," Matthew said, trying his best to be polite. "My grandpa, in Central City."

Amy spoke up. "I'll take him," she said before her parents could say anything.

"Good," said her father. With that, he walked off to bed.

"I'm sorry for your loss, dear," her mother said before she followed her husband. "No one should go through what you're going through."

"Thank you," said Matthew. After she'd left, he sat down by Amy. "So… I'll sleep here tonight?"

"Well, actually," Amy said, "I was thinking, you know, after awhile, when my parents are asleep, you could sleep in my room with me."

Matthew furrowed his brow. "With you? Am I allowed to do that?"

"Well… no. But you don't want to sleep on this small couch, do you?"

"I guess not… I don't know…"

"We won't do anything… _weird,_ if that's what you're wondering."

Matthew nodded his head. "Well… Alright."

When it was midnight, Amy took Matthew to her room. It wasn't as girly as he thought it'd be. There was a desk, a closet, a mirror in the corner, and king-sized bed. Amy took his hand and practically threw him onto the bed. She crawled on beside him and got under the covers. Matthew figured he should do the same.

"This is, um… a nice bed," he said awkwardly. He spoke in a whisper.

"Thank you," she whispered back, pressing her body against his side and wrapping her arms around him. They lay there in a long silence.

"I'm scared, Amy," Matthew said, breaking the silence.

"I know you are," she said. "And I'm scared _for_ you."

"Do you think my mom's… dead?"

"Amy hesitated. "You have to hope for the better," she said. "Soon things will be back to normal. I promise."

Matthew almost laughed. She didn't know what happened to him. She didn't know about Shadow The Hedgehog. Things could never get back to normal.

She kissed his cheek while caressing the other. "Get some rest, Matt. Tomorrow we'll go to Central and meet your grandpa or whoever."

While Amy was sleeping, Matthew just lied there. It felt like hundreds of things were going through his mind. G.U.N., Maria, Gerald, Shadow, Amy... Now the desire of finding out more of who he was was poking at him.

* * *

When Amy woke up, Matthew was gone.


	12. Matthew's Lab

Even though they were far apart, Westopolis and Central City were closely associated with each other. Westopolis was always compared to Central City. Central City was not as rich as Westopolis, but it had a more stable infrastructure. Its crime rate was much lower. Its citizens had more opportunities. Its people were safer. If anyone wanted to escape the harshness of Westopolis but wanted to stay in the city environment, Central City was the way to go. There was also a third city… Empire City, but it was on the other side of the country.

Matthew was in his Shadow form, super-jumping on the as-the-crow-flies route to Central City. He almost landed on something important, like a car, a couple of times, but it didn't matter to him. It was a cloudy day. The clouds weren't as black as they were in Westopolis, the city of dark. The clouds in Central City, the city of light, had a bluish hue, like it would rain. As Shadow got closer, he felt the air become cooler. He could smell the rain forming in the clouds. He always loved rain. He wondered what it'd feel like if he flew into it. Once he landed on the ground, he put extra effort into his next super-jump. Once he gained incredible height, his vision became blurred by the clouds. His black hair instantly became wet. But Shadow felt something. It was that weak feeling he'd gotten at the end of his battle with Eggman. The rain felt like it was weighing him down. Unprepared, Shadow hurdled towards the ground. _Not again,_ he thought.

He crash-landed into the paved road below. This landing was more painful than the last. Still weak, he struggled t roll over on his back. He looked at his handed and watch as water dripped off of it. The rain… was that what made him weak the last time, too? He clenched his fist, feeling the rage burn inside him. The water had mostly dried off now, and Shadow got up. Lightning flashed above him.

"I better get moving if I want to outrun this rain," he said to himself. "But… how did the rain do that? Does it really… weaken me?"

He decided super-jumping was too dangerous. He could see the Central City skyline. He used his fast running speed to get there. It wasn't as fast as super-jumping, but it got the job done.

He wondered what it was that Gerald wanted to give him. He said Matthew would really like it. What he wanted more than anything was a way to find his mother. He wondered what she was doing right then, but nothing came to mind. She could be anywhere, he thought.

Shadow wondered how he would find his grandpa. He hadn't given him any directions, and place where they'd meet, or where he lived. Once he was in Central City, he found an alley and transformed back into his regular Matthew self. He was wearing sweat pants and a hoodie… courtesy of Amy's dad, who he stole them from. Matthew wanted money, so he could buy food and clothing. He stepped out of the alley and felt a raindrop fall on his head. More lightning flashed in the clouds, and soon a downpour commenced. Matthew prepared himself for the weak feeling but never got it. No one was around, so Matthew turned into Shadow, and immediately fell to his knees. Each raindrop actually _hurt,_ making it the first time Matthew had ever felt pain as Shadow. He was lying flat on his stomach now, groaning in misery. He put all of his energy into turning back to Matthew. It was hard, but he eventually succeeded. The weight of the rain was lifted, and Matthew felt fine. _Weird,_ he thought. _Is water… my weakness?_ He laughed. _Water hurts me, but not guns._

"Stay away from water when you're Shadow," said a voice. Matthew turned to see Gerald in the alleyway.

"Grandpa! How'd you find me?" Matthew asked.

"I just did," Gerald said mysteriously. He signaled to Matthew. "Come here. We're going to my lab."

"Lab?" Matthew followed him without further questioning. It was a long walk in the rain, but soon they came to a desert-like area behind the city.

Gerald pointed to the ground. "There."

"Where?" Matthew asked.

"_There._" The professor then chuckled. "It's a genius spot to put my lab. Look close to the spot on the ground."

Matthew did. There was a hexagon-shaped crack in the ground, probably the size of the trunk of a tree.

"Put your hand on it," Gerald instructed.

Matthew cautiously reach for the piece of ground. He carefully touched it with his fingertips. The piece started to glow. Now Matthew figured it out.

"You have an underground lab?" he asked.

The professor shook his head. "You do."

"Huh?"

The panel stopped glowing and made a clicking sound.

"Now step on it," Gerald said.

Matthew obeyed. He slowly took a step on it. Nothing happened.

"Both feet," Gerald said. "It's weight activated."

"But what's to stop someone from standing on this spot and getting in?"

"That's why you have to touch it."

Matthew put both feet on the panel. It made another clicking sound, then started to lower. Matthew was surprised at first, but how else would he get into the lab. He stood there as he sank into darkness. The panel stopped and made a _pshhh_ sound. The natural light revealed a hand scanner.

"Step off it for it to go back up!" the professor yelled from above.

Matthew blindly did. The panel click again and started to rise. It was dark for a second, but then the panel lowered again with Gerald on it.

"You're going to love this place," Gerald said after stepping off the panel. He put his hand on the scanner. When it was finished recognizing, a computer voice said, "Welcome."

"Change DNA recognition," said Gerald.

The computer voice paused. "Accepted. Please place new hand on scanner for new recognition."

"That's you," Gerald said to Matthew.

The teen paused before placing his hand on the scanner. Was this lab going to be his _completely?_ When the machine was finished scanning, the computer voice said, "New DNA recognized. Welcome, Matthew Martin."

Matthew smiled. The door to the lab opened, revealing a white room full of machines.

"Here's what I also wanted to give you," said the professor, pointing to a pair of gloves and shoes on a table. "They should make your life… easier."

"What're they for?" Matthew asked.

"They're your Shadow The Hedgehog attire. I made them myself." They were white gloves with black & red cuffs and white shoes with rockets on the bottom.

Matthew turned into Shadow and removed his Inhibitor Rings. He felt enormous power surge through his veins.

"Ergh," he grunted.

Gerald helped him get his things on. Shadow put his Inhibitors back on over the gloves and boots.

"What do these do?" Shadow asked, turning back into Matthew.

"Well, the gloves just go with the boots, but the boots are special. They're called Hover Shoes. They allow to stick to walls, to fly, and to go around like roller skates," said the professor.

"Roller skates? Huh."

"Let me give you the tour." Gerald pointed to a wall line with… guns? Matthew was in heaven. "Those the guns… pistols, machine guns, rifles, what have you."

"Is that a bazooka?" Matthew asked, pointing to a long gun with a missile sticking out.

"Oh, you wouldn't be interested in that." Gerald pushed a red button, opening the wall. Matthew came face-to-face with the most badass motorcycle he'd ever seen. The moment was too short, as Gerald closed the wall.

"That room has the bike and the extra ammo," he said quickly. "Now to the Chaos Room."

Matthew was staring off into space, with a look in his eye.

"Matthew?" Gerald said.

* * *

Shadow propelled down the interstate with his new Hover Shoes. The boosted his running speed, and it looked like he really was roller skating. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, fueling his excitement. A car almost ran over him—or maybe he almost ran over the car—but he pounced over it and continued going. He jumped, and the shoes made a blasting sound, and he was flying. Now he truly felt free. The rain had stopped, and now the sky was clear and blue. Flying was much easier than he thought. L he had to do was maneuver his body correctly. He flew between the skyscrapers of Westopolis.

"Wooooooo!" he screamed.

He landed and started running again, looking like he was skating. He easily maneuvered through traffic and sidestepped in between cars. A semi was coming up in the intersection, but Shadow slid under it and continued his run. He jumped and started another flight. People watched in amazement. A black creature that was flying…

He flew straight into the sky, picking up speed and causing a sonic boom behind him. He began laughing, loving this free feeling. The sky started turning black. He was flying into space. If he was part alien, he should've been able to be in space, right? Shadow closed his eyes and continued flying. Soon he started feeling cold. His hair started getting frosty, but not very much. He opened his eyes and saw stars. He looked down and saw the world below him. The sun shined brightly in front of him. He closed his eyes, feeling its power. He opened his eyes and blasted off back to Earth. He swore he could feel himself breaking the sound barrier as he went. Westopolis became visible, and he made a dangerous J-shaped turn just before crashing to the ground. He knew one thing: he loved flying.

* * *

Gerald was outside the lab, waiting for Matthew to return. He had said, "I'll be back, Grandpa!" then abruptly left. He was probably just excited to try out his Hover Shoes. He heard a big boom coming from the sky. Yes, that was Matt.

But something else fell from the sky. It was a giant red robot with a massive energy cannon on its right arm and a drill on its left.

"Ho ho ho!" a voice boomed. "The Egg Dragoon!"

The robot seemed to look down at Gerald, who was shaking in his spot. "F-Father?"

Gerald recognized the voice. "Ivo?"

Eggman was seen in the cockpit, controlling the Egg Dragoon. "No one calls me that anymore. I know you have a Choas Emerald, Father. Hand it over!"

"…Never."

Eggman blinked. "Don't make me kill you. Wait, you're associated with those G.U.N. freaks aren't you?"

"N-no!" Gerald said, falling to his knees. "N-not anymore, I swear!"

"Liar!" The cannon split into five min-cannons and started rotating. "You're a liar!"

"And you are a madman and a fool!" Gerald yelled. "I will not give you the Chaos Emerald. You will use it for whatever tyranny you have planned."

"Silence!" Eggman screamed. The mini-cannons formed into one again. The Egg Dragoon raised the cannon, and slammed it on Gerald…

Instantly killing him.

Eggman immediately regretted what he'd done. "Father? Father!" he yelled.

Gerald lay there in a twisted position, his eyes open as well as his mouth. A piece of his glasses had gotten in his eye. Unable to look any longer, Eggman flew away, yelling in sorrow.

A tear dropped from Gerald's eye.


	13. Death

Now Shadow felt truly alive. He had more powers now, along with his Chaos Blast, Chaos Spear, and Beam Vision. Now he could protect the loved ones he had left. Now he could save people. Shadow The Hedgehog would rebuild and no longer destroy. Now he could be the hero.

He'd fallen in love with the Hover Shoes. He had achieved full power with them. He could now fly and run faster. Flying was so desirable. Who didn't want to fly? All Shadow wanted to do was fly laps upon laps around the globe. He remembered that he hadn't thanked Gerald properly for the Hover Shoes and gloves. He landed on the ground and sped off to the lab.

Gerald Robotnik was lying next to the panel that went to the underground lab. His torso had been twisted gorily, and his arms looked twisted as well.

"G-Gerald?" Shadow asked. No answer. What happened? Was Gerald…? No, impossible! Shadow ran to his grandfather's side and knelt beside him. His injuries were severe. So severe, that…

"Gerald!" Shadow shouted. The irises of his eyes started glowing like they always did whenever he felt strong emotions. He rolled Gerald onto his back and started pumping his chest with the palm of his hands, attempting CPR. Was he doing it right? He put his ear to Gerald's chest and listed for a heartbeat, but there was nothing.

"_Grandpa!_" Shadow shouted. "_Wake up! Please!_" With a yell of rage and desperation, Shadow slammed his fist into the ground. He lay his head on his grandfather's body and cried.

"I'm so sorry, Grandpa," he sobbed. "I was so stupid… I never should've left… It's… it's all my fault, Grandpa…! I'm so sorry!" Shadow clutched Gerald's limp hand with his own.

"Why did I leave you?" he sobbed, a little more quit now. "I was so selfish, so stupid… I'm sorry, Grandpa… Who? Who did this to you?"

He turned into Matthew and rolled over onto his back, feeling the blazing sun's heat on his face. Matthew had lost the will to live. It didn't matter who killed Gerald. Matthew felt like it was he who killed his grandfather. If he'd just stayed put, this wouldn't have happened.

* * *

Yet, Matthew decided to keep living. He carried his dead grandfather deeper into the desert. When he felt it was far enough, he transformed into Shadow and used his Beam Vision to form a deep hole for him to bury Gerald in. Tears flowed out his eyes as fast as the beams were. Once it was the right depth, Shadow threw Gerald's dead body in. He started throwing rocks, sand, and pieces of the ground in. Once the hole was filled, Shadow used his Beam Vision again to draw a cross over the area Gerald had been buried. Shadow had held on to the professor's labcoat, as a piece of memory to provide comfort. He started walking away…

G.U.N. did this, didn't they? It was obvious. They had been searching for Gerald for 15 years. Once Matthew saw them again, he'd crush them under his fist. This time, they would suffer. Shadow looked at the labcoat and clenched it harder in his fist. G.U.N. would pay.


End file.
